In keeping with our unplanned gift theme this week, here are a couple DIY gifts I made in the kitchen with my dad this past weekend . . .
I found the recipes for these two sauces -
hot and sweet mustard and
ambrosia (a teriyaki-like sauce) - in the December issue of
Bon Appetit, and I knew it would be a great gift for my office gift exchange. Both were really fun to make because they were so different from anything I've done in the kitchen before, and because they were so different from each other.
And talk about equally amazing in different ways. I'm obsessed with the mustard - it definitely packs a punch when you first taste it, just so you're warned, but then it fades into such a deliciously sweet taste. I love that the heat doesn't burn out your taste buds. I haven't cooked with the ambrosia yet (I plan to do that very soon, especially now that I'm on break) but I did taste it after we finished cooking it, and it was divine.
The recipes were easy to follow, which was great for a beginner with this kind of cooking like me. You will have to make sure you have an afternoon to block off to make these though because they are a little time consuming (especially the ambrosia, it has to simmer for about an hour). Other than that, my only tip is if you're looking for the Colman's mustard powder check Giant Eagle, that's where my dad found it.
I highly, highly recommend making these - they'll impress your friends and family, and they make enough that you can keep some too! I color blocked two wooden basting brushes to throw in with the sauces (see
this post from
A Cozy Kitchen) and add some color, and it was a simple, inexpensive gift.
Here are the links to the recipes again:
Hirsheimer's Hot and Sweet Mustard and
Ambrosia Sauce. Happy cooking!